How Labor added 30,000 by stealth to Australia’s immigration program
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New Zealand citizens can work and live in Australia indefinitely as temporary migrants under the Special Category Visa (SCV).
Under changes made by the Albanese government, from 1 July 2023, New Zealand citizens no longer needed to secure permanent residence before becoming Australian citizens. As a result, other nationalities now fill those places, effectively increasing the size of the permanent migration program as New Zealand citizens access Australian citizenship directly.
New Zealanders also gained faster access to health and family benefits.
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About the author
Leith van Onselen is Chief Economist at the MB Fund and MB Super. He is also a co-founder of MacroBusiness.
Leith has previously worked at the Australian Treasury, Victorian Treasury and Goldman Sachs.
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